Apparatus for inserting seals in pavement grooves



Sept. 16, 1969 J, F. s E 3,466,988

APPARATUS FOR INSERTING SEALS IN PAVEMENT GROOVES Filed March 13, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet l g: 1:? Q in Q [NV N 0R. R gin fM WM AT TOFNEYS.

Sept. 16, 1969 J. F. SHARPE 3,466,933

APPARATUS FOR INSERTING SEALS IN PAVEMENT GROOVES Filed March 13. 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

'fM ZZM ATTORNEYS.

Sept. 16, 1969 J. F. SHARPE 3,465,933

APPARATUS FOR INSERTING SEALS IN PAVEMENT GROOVES Filed March 13. 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 W [N V ZZTOR; ww

ATTORNEYS.

APPARATUS FOR INSERTING SEALS IN PAVEMENT GROOVES Filed March 13, 1967 J. F. SHARPE Sept. 16, 1969 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 .13? LP 1 I ATTOFN'E'KS'.

United States Patent 3,466,988 APPARATUS FOR INSERTING SEALS IN PAVEMENT GROOVES James F. Sharpe, Buffalo, N.Y., assignor to Acme Highway Products Corporation, Bulfalo, N.Y. Filed Mar. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 622,677 Int. Cl. E01c 19/52 US. C]. 94-39 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to apparatus for inserting elastic sealing material into pavement grooves for the purpose of forming tight seals between adjacent slabs of pavement to exclude foreign material from the grooves.

One of.the objects of this invention is to provide an apparatus of this type for accurately inserting elastomeric sealing material in strip form in pavement grooves.

Another object is to provide improved apparatus of this type including a pair of insertion disks arranged one in advance of the other and extending into a groove and pressing the sealing material into said groove.

It is also an object of this invention to provide means of improved construction for mounting the insertion disks in angular relation to the sides of a groove.

An object is to provide apparatus of this type with two sets of ground wheels, one of said ground wheels supporting the apparatus when being lifted over the edge of the pavement and the other set of ground wheels supporting the apparatus while on the pavement in correct relation to the groove.

A further object is to provide improved means for guiding the sealing material from a reel on which it is wound to a groove.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a seal inserting apparatus embodying this invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

FIG. 2a is a fragmentary section thereof on line 2a2a, FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view thereof.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, sectional elevation thereof on line 4-4, FIG. 5.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in section, on line 55, FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, sectional elevation thereof on line 6-6, FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of a pavement showing the groove between adjacent slabs and a sealing device in the groove.

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic, bottom plan view of the seal insertion disks in their relation to each other.

The frame of the apparatus is formed by a channel member including a substantially horizontal web or plate 10 and longitudinally and downwardly extending flanges 11 at opposite sides thereof. A transversely extending upright plate 12 is secured to the channel member below the web or plate 10 to support parts of the mechanism. The Web or plate 10 is provided with an opening or hole 14 therein through which parts of the apparatus extend.

The apparatus is mounted on two sets of ground wheels 3,466,988 Patented Sept. 16, 1969 formed to ride on the pavement. One set of ground wheels 15 is mounted on an axle 17 suitably journalled in the frame of the apparatus, and normally riding on the pavement during insertion of the sealing material. There is provided another set of ground wheels 19 mounted on an axle or shaft 20 in such manner that during operation of the apparatus on the pavement, these wheels are above the pavement out of touch with the same. This can be accomplished by selecting the ground wheels 19 of smaller diameter than the ground wheels 15. Both axles 17 and 20 are connected by means of a sprocket chain 21 and are driven from an engine or other source of power. This apparatus is intended for inserting sealing means into pavement grooves extending both transversely of the pavement and lengthwise thereof. When operating on transversely extending grooves the apparatus may be supported partly beyond the edge of the pavement and when in this position it will be tilted and rest on the ground wheels 19. The apparatus when tilted may be driven crosswise of the pavement by means of the ground wheels 19 until the apparatus is in normal or horizontal position when the ground wheels 15 res-t upon the pavement, whereupon the ground wheels 19 will be moved upwardly out of contact with the pavement so that the apparatus will then be moved crosswise of the pavement when supported mainly by the ground wheels 15.

The apparatus includes suitable power means, such as an engine 25, mounted on the apparatus and suitably connected with a fuel tank 24. The engine shaft drives a sprocket chain 7 supplying power to an air compressor 26, the shaft of which drives a sprocket chain 28 which extends downwardly through a hole in the web 10 and has suitable connection through a shaft 29 with a worm gear or helical gear 30, which is mounted to rotate about the axle 17. Power may be transmitted from the gear 30 to the axle 17 through a clutch 32, a part of which is rotated by means of the gear 30 and the other part 33 of which is mounted on the shaft 17 and has :a splined connection with the axle 17. A clutch lever 35 is pivoted on the frame of the apparatus to shift the clutch member 33 lengthwise of the axle 17 into and out of engagement with the other clutch member mounted on the gear 30. Consequently when the two clutch parts are in engagement, rotation will be transmitted from the gear 30 to the axle 17 of the ground wheels 15 and through the sprocket chain 21 to the axle 20. Consequently, when it is desired to impart motion to the apparatus, both ground wheels 15 and 19 will be rotated, but only one pair of ground wheels will contact with a supporting surface, so that the other pair of ground wheels will rotate idly.

In addition to the two sets of ground wheels, the apparatus is also provided at the front end thereof with a ground wheel journalled on a support 41 which may be adjusted relatively to the body of the apparatus in any suitable manner. For example, the support may be pivoted at one end at 42 and may be adjusted relatively to the frame of the apparatus in any suitable manner, as by means of an adjusting screw 43. The apparatus is also provided with a guide wheel 45 which fits into the goove 46 of the pavement 47. This guide wheel may be mounted on a bearing support 48, also mounted on the frame of the apparatus and guides the apparatus in correct relation to the pavement groove.

The apparatus is guided in its movement by means of a handle including two rods 50 extending into two tubes or sockets 52 and is thus removably secured on the frame of the apparatus. The upper ends of the rods 50 are connected by means of the usual cross bar 53.

The sealing material, which may be of the type illustrated in Patent No. 3,179,026, is delivered by the manufacturer of the same in drums, usually made with cardboard sides and a cylinder which has an opening through which the inner end of the strip of sealing material extends.

My apparatus is so constructed that the drum of sealing material as received from the manufacturer may be mounted directly on the apparatus, and for this purpose a pair of supporting posts 60 are mounted on opposite sides of the apparatus, preferably removably extending into sockets 59. These supporting posts are spaced apart sufficiently to permit a drum to be placed between them and support a shaft 61 on which a drum may be pivotally mounted. Since the material of which these drums are generally made is not of suflicient strength to support the drums on the shaft 61, I provide this shaft with metal disks 64 having spikes or prongs 65 thereon which may be driven into the end walls 66 of the drum on which the sealing material is delivered after the shaft has been inserted approximately into the center of the drum. The end walls of this drum are connected by a cylindrical body 67 on which the sealing material 70 is wound. After the disks 64 have been secured to the end walls 66 of the drum, the shaft is then positioned on bearing supports 62 at the upper ends of the supporting posts 60.

It is desired to apply suction to the sealing member 70 to remove some of the air therefrom so that the sealing member will at least partly collapse by movement of the side walls of the sealing member toward each other. This may be done by providing the shaft 61 with an axial hole or bore 72 in one end thereof which is connected with a suitable coupling member 73 having a part which may be detachably screwed or otherwise fastened to the shaft 61 to connect with the hole 72 in the shaft and with the inner end 71 of the sealing strip, see FIG. 2a. Consequently if the hole 72 in the shaft is connected with a source of suction, this suction will be transmitted through the coupling 73 to the sealing strip 70 and thus removed air from the interior of the sealing strip.

The air compressor 26 may be of any suitable construction which has an intake which may be connected with a conduit 76 leading to a connecting swivel 77 -of any suitable construction which may be connected with the end of the shaft 61 which has the hole 72 therein. The swivel has an air passage which may be suitably connected with the drilled hole 72 in the shaft 61. This swivel cooperates with the end of the shaft 61 whichhas an annular groove 78 formed therein, leaving an annular head 79 on the end of the shaft. The swivel has a guideway 80 formed therein in which the head 79 may pass lengthwise during movement of the swivel, into the position shown in FIG. 2a in which the air passage 82 in the connecting swivel connects with the hole in the shaft. The swivel has an opening 81 through which the head 79 may pass when the swivel is mounted in the opposite direction. Any other means for quickly connecting the hole 72 in the shaft 61 with the source of suction may of course be provided so that the shaft 61 may turn while connected to the swivel member 77. Consequently, the inner end of the sealing material coiled on the drum is subjected to suetion derived from the air compressor 26.

The sealing member 70 is led downwardly from the reel or drum on which it is wound past a pair of guide rollers '85 through a hole 86 in the web of the frame of the apparatus, FIG. 5. Upon passing through the hole 86 the sealing member is further guided by means of a curved plate 88 between two flanges of a wheel 90 which in conjunction with the plate 88 support the sealing member 70, see also FIG. 4, with the sides of the sealing member bearing against the two flanges 90. The flanged wheel 90 is mounted on a shaft 92 supported on a bracket 93 which in turn is supported from the depending frame member 12. The bracket 93 also supports on the lower end thereof another pair of guide wheels 95 between which the sealing member passes. These guide wheels are mounted in immediate proximity to the groove 46 in the pavement so that the sealing member is delivered directly into the groove from the guide wheels 95. Since the sealing member is partly collapsed because of the suction to which it is subjected, it will easily pass into the groove 46 and is then immediately acted upon by two inserting disks 98 and 99.

The inserting disks are journalled on the lower ends of rods 100 and 101 which are preferably of hexagonal or other non-circular cross section and which extend upwardly through guides 102 and 103 which have non-circular bores extending through them to hold the rods 100 and 101 in correct angular relation. The upper ends of these rods are cut down to circular cross section and are threaded as indicated at 105 and provided with nuts 106 operating on washers 107 resting on top of the supports 102 and 103. By means of these nuts the heights of the disks 98 and 99 can be adjusted to enable the apparatus to operate on different size sealing members entering into different size grooves 46.

The upright bearing supports 100 and 101 for thetwo inserting disks are provided with collars 110 secured to the upright bearing supports 100 and 101. Coil springs 111 are provided which extend about the bearing supports 100 and 101 and hear at their upper ends on the guides 102 and 103 and on theinlower ends on the collars 110 and thus urge the bearing supports 100 and 101 and the disks 98 and 99 downwardly to the extent determined by the adjustment of the nuts 106 on the threaded parts 105 of the bearing supports. It will be noted that the extent to which the disks 98 and 99. extend into the groove 46 is also determined by the elevation of the front wheel 40.

The guides 102 and 103 are welded or otherwise rigidly secured to a plate 119 which is suitably supported in the hole 14 in the web 10. The plate 119 is supported in this hole by means of suitable straps 115 having their ends bent to rest on the main web 10 of the apparatus and extending outwardly to form supports for the plate 119 in the hole 114. Lugs or projections 116 are secured to the lower face of the web 10 and extending under the plate 119 to prevent downward movement of this plate.

It is an important feature of this invention to mount the two inserting disks 98 and 99 in angular relation to the groove 46 and to the sealing member in the same and this angular arrangement need not be very great, possibly somewhere in the order of three degrees, and this angle is determined by the mounting of the guides 102 and 103 on the plate 119. The inserting disks are arranged so that they contact with the middle of the sealing member, as shown in FIG. 6. This sealing member is quite flexible and when inserted into the groove in the pavement is very apt to become slightly inclined and thus fails to form a proper seal in the groove. However, when the sealing member comes in contact with the first inserting disk 98, it may be tilted slightly toward one wall of the groove 46, but when the sealing member is engaged by the other inserting disk 99, which is inclined in the opposite direction, this tilting of the upper wall of the sealing member is corrected.

It has been found desirable to rotate one or the other or both of the inserting disks and in the construction shown the leading inserting disk 98 is provided with a hub 120 which cooperates by means of a belt with a pulley 121 mounted on the shaft 17. It has also been found desirable to rotate the inserting disk at slightly faster peripheral speed than the diriving wheels 15 or 19, and this can be readily arranged by correctly selecting the diameters of the pulley 121 and the flange 120. The purpose of this difference in speed between the inserting disks and the supporting wheels of the apparatus is to control the stretch of the seal as it is inserted in the groove since stretch of the seal in the groove is objectionable because of deterioration of the material of which the seal is made.

Means are also provided for supplying liquid to the groove in the pavement which acts as a lubricant to facilitate insertion of the seal in the groove, and preferably the liquid selected also forms an adhesive or cement which secures the seal against movement in the groove. For this purpose a tank or container 125 is mounted on the apparatus in any suitable manner, for example, by means of a bracket 126 secured to the channel member of the apparatus. This tank is supplied with pressure from the air compressor, for example, through a pipe or conduit 128 receiving air under pressure from the air compressor and which is connected to a short tube 129 leading to the tank 125 and containing a check valve 130. The tank also is provided with a pressure relief valve 132 to prevent the development of excessive pressure to the tank.

Liquid from the tank 125 is conducted through a pipe 135 which terminates at 136 in a closed end but having discharge openings 137 at opposite sides thereof for projecting liquid to opposite sides of the groove 46, as shown particularly in FIG. 5. Valve 138 may be used to control the flow of liquid in pipe 135.

In the use of the apparatus described it will of course be understood that the end of the sealing material on the outer part of the drum is clamped or otherwise stopped to prevent air from entering the sealing material on the drum. Part of the sealing material on the outer end of the drum is positioned in the pavement groove and is then out after the desired length of sealing material has been positioned in the groove. While being cut the sealing material is clamped or otherwise closed to prevent air entering the same at the ends of the cut, or if desired, air may be admitted into the portion of the sealing material in the groove.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials and arrangements of parts which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for inserting elastomeric sealing material in strip form into grooves in pavements, Comprising:

a carriage movable on the surface of the pavement over a groove, a supply of sealing material supported on said carriage, means for directing said strip of sealing material into a groove,

and a pair of insertion disks arranged one in advance of the other over the groove and extending into said groove, one of said insertion disks being inclined in one direction with reference to the vertical and urging said sealing material toward one side of said groove and the other insertion disk being inclined in the opposite direction toward the vertical and urging said sealing material toward the opposite side of said groove. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 and including drive means for rotating an insertion disk at a peripheral speed slightly greater than the rate of movement of the carriage on the surface of the pavement.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 and including: two pairs of ground wheels supporting said carriage over the pavement, one pair having their treads positioned higher on said carriage than said other set, said higher set bearing on the pavement when the carriage is placed at an inclination over the edge of the pavement, and the other set resting on the pavement when said apparatus is lifted and positioning said insertion disks to extend into the groove,

and drive means for propelling both pairs of ground wheels, said higher wheels being positioned out of contact with the pavement when the apparatus is fully upon the pavement.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 and including:

drive means for rotating said ground wheels,

and a drive connection for rotating said insertion disks at a slightly faster peripheral speed than said ground wheels.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said sealing material is of tubular form, and in which said supply of sealing material is coiled on a drum and including:

means for supporting said drum on said carriage including a shaft,

the inner end of said strip of said sealing member on said drum extending out of said drum,

means on said apparatus producing a partial vacuum,

and

means for transmitting said partial vacuum to the inner end of said strip of sealing material to remove air from the interior of said sealing material on said drum, which has entered said strip during positioning of the same in a groove.

6. Apparatus for inserting elastomeric sealing material in strip form into grooves in pavements, comprising:

a carriage movable on the surface of the pavement over a groove,

a supply of sealing material supported on said carriage,

a pair of insertion disks mounted on said carriage to engage said sealing material in said groove and arranged one in advance of the other, one of said disks being arranged at a slight angle to one side of said groove and the other insertion disk being arranged at a slight angle to the other side of said groove,

said disks engaging at the part of the sealing material intermediate of the walls of the groove and alternately urge the sealing material downwardly and toward opposite walls of the groove.

7. Apparatus for inserting elastomeric sealing material in strip form into grooves in pavements, comprising:

a carriage movable on the surface of the pavement over a groove, and having a substantially fiat web,

means on said carriage for directing said strip of sealing material into a groove,

a pair of inserting disks arranged one in advance of the other and engaging said sealing material to press the same into said groove,

said disks being inclined in opposite directions with reference to a vertical longitudinal plane to push said strip toward opposite sides of a groove,

substantially upright bearing supports on which said disks are rotatably mounted,

guides for said bearing supports,

a plate on which said guides are mounted and which is positioned in a hole in said flat web, said disks being arranged below said plate,

and means above said plate for adjusting the positions of said disks with relation to the grooves in said pavement.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 and including springs acting on said guides and said bearing supports for urging said disks toward the groove.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,718,840 6/1929 Thomasson 9439 1,877,577 9/1932 Palmer 94-46 1,977,850 10/ 1934 Heltzel 94-46 XR 2,025,449 12/1935 Heltzel 94-39 2,354,586 7/1944 Fischer 94-51 XR 3,364,828 1/1968 Shope 94-39 3,366,022 l/l968 Mock 94--5l XR 3,368,465 2/1968 Tonjes 9439 FOREIGN PATENTS 7 1,244,724 9/ 1960 France.

JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 945 1 

